Hot-water-circulating system.



No. 794.730- PATBNTED JULY 18, 1905 Jl Fl HOT WATER CIRGULATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17. 1902.

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N0. 794.730. Patented July 1?, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. MoELROY, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CONSOLIDATED OAR HEATING COMPANY, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

HOT-WATER-CIRCULATI NG SYSTEM.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 794,730, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed April 17, 1902. Serial No. 103,272.

9.0 all whom it may concern: unobstructed by bends or pockets. I then Be it known that I, JAMEs F. MoELRoY, a introduce the steam at one end and withdraw o citizen of the United States, residing at Alit at the same end by a series of spur-tubes, bany, county of Albany, and State of New into which the live steam enters, and by a 5 York, have invented certain new and useful similar series of jacketing-tubes from which Improvements in Steam -Heaters for Hotthe water of condensation is withdrawn by Water Systems, of which the following specigravity, both tubes being attached to one fication and accompanying drawings disclose end only of the drum. Both series of tubes as an illustration one embodiment thereof, are mounted on the drum-head, which is sep- IO which I now regard as the best out of the vaarable from the drum-cylinder, so that I am rious forms in which the principles of my inenabled to test every joint between said vention may be applied, of which drum-head and the tubes by a test-pressure Figure 1 is a longitudinal section; Fig. 2, a of six hundred pounds per square inch before plan, and Fig. 3 a cross-section. the tubes and joints are inclosed and covered 15 My invention relates to a steam-drum for over by the cylinder.

heating the water of a hot-water-heating sys- My invention also embraces a drum of the tem such as is employed on railway-vehicles. type described which is reversible, so as to be 6 5 In the drums heretofore generally used in capable of use in either a vertical or horizonthese systems for the most part the steam tal position, and also a drum wherein the 20 has been introduced into the drum itself and pounding due to the intermingling of steam the water has been passed through an interand water in the water-space and also in the nal tube extending through from one head of steam-s ace is avoided. To these ends I ar the drum to the other. Owing to the difierrange t e entrance port or opening into the ence in expansion and contraction of this drum on the opposite side of the drum-axis 25 tube and the drum it has been difiicult to from the exit port or opening, the said openmaintain a ti ht connection at the joints beings being also at the respective ends of the tween the tube and the drum-head, and to drum. Then if the drum lies horizontally overcome this difiiculty one widely-used exas, for example, under the carthe water is pedient has been to provide a stuffing-box admitted at the port below the drum-axis 0 between one head of the drum and the said and withdrawn at the port above the druminterior tube, which would allow the tube to axis. If, however, it stands vertically, the slide to and fro through the drum-head as it route of the water is merely reversed, enter- 8o expanded and contracted. Another widelying at the end where in the horizontal position used expedient has been to make the said it would leave the drum. The steam-ports 3 5 tube of corrugated copper, so that it may exare similarly arranged with respect to the and and contract while firmly joined to both axis of the drum, but the steam, on the conends of the drum. My present invention is trary, enters at the upper port and the conaimed to overcome this trouble, and several densed water leaves at the lower port, while thousand drums embodying my invention the drum is horizontal. When it is vertical,

4.0 have been put into service and found effectthe steam passes upward through the spurive in attainin this object, serving conspicutubes, and condensing to water in the jacketously to avoid leakages such as occurred with tubes the water falls downward to the lower 0 the prior constructions above mentioned. In ends of the jacket-tubes, Where it is withmy present device I pass the water instead of drawn. Thus in the vertical position of the 5 the steam into the drums and I pass it didrum the steam is, in effect, introduced at rectly through the drum, admitting it at one the upper level by means of the spur-tubes end and withdrawing it at the other end, so and the water of condensation is taken off at 5 that it has a clear passage from end to end the lower level. By this means the heated and J communicate.

water and steam'are free to rise from the drum into the circulating system of the car and so the steam will separate itself from the water with an avoidance of the pounding. The arrangement of the steam-tubes is also important in that in either position there is, in those tubes also, no intermingling of steam or water, which would cause pounding or would cause the banking up of the water ahead of the steam, with the result of the gradual filling up of the steam-space by water and the subsequent freezing of the water. In my construction the entering steam-tube is jacketed by the condensed-water space and the waterace is drained at its lowest point whether t e drum stands vertically or horizontally. Moreover, the steam, by reason of the jacket, remains steam until it emerges from the spur tube, and then it comes against the water-wall of the jacketing-tube and is condensed into water. So long as it is in the spur-tube it is surrounded by the warmer water of condensation, not by the external water to be heated. This secures the separation of the steam and water of condensation and insures the downward expulsion of the water.

Referring to the drawings, the external drum consists of a tube A, preferably three and one-half to four inches in diameter and about two and one-half feet long, to which is attached at one end, preferably by screwing upon the pipe A, a fitting B, constituting one head of the drum, to whlch fitting is secured, preferably by screw-threads, the jacket-pipes O, D, E, and F and also the spurs G, H, I, and J. Each of said spurs is open at its outer end and projects into one of the jacket-pipes C, D, E, and F, which pipes are closed by suitable caps at their ends within the drum. Within the fittingB, I also arrange the steamchamber K, with which the spurs G, H, I,

Within the same casting which forms the fitting B, I also arrange the drip-chamber L, with which communicate the jacket-pipes C, D, E, and F. The inflowpipe M carries steam to the steam-chamber, and the drip-pipe N carries away the drip from the drip-chamber L. As thus arranged the steam conveyed to the drum by the pipe M enters the steam-chamber K, passes through the spurs G, K, I, and J and into the jacketpipes O, D, E, and F, where it comes in contact with the walls of those pipes which are in contact with the water in the drum A and is condensed. The water of condensation returns by gravity through jacket pipes O, D, E, and F to the drip-chamber L and thence escapes through the drip-pipe N. The water of condensation is thus formed not at a point near where the steam enters the spurheating unit, but at a point remote therefrom and adjacent to the locality of its removal that is to say, in the j acketing-tube. It will be noticed that the pipes are so arranged that none of them pass completely through the drum and engage with both heads, and all are preferably, as shown, freely and independently expansible. Hence the expansion and contraction puts no strain on any of the joints. The pipes are all carried by the fitting B and can be attached thereto and the joints tested before the drum A is applied to the fitting, so as to cover over and prevent access to the joints. I also avoid,by my construction, brazed or packed joints, such as were required with the corrugated copperpipe arrangement or the stuffing box arrangement of the prior art mentioned above. My drum may be placed either in a horizontal or vertical position. In the former case the water will enter at the lower port 0 and leave at the upper port P, and in the latter case will enter at P and leave at 0, since when placed vertically the fitting B must be at the lower end to allow the condensed steam to depart by the outlet from dripchamber L, as described. The pipes O and P represent the water circulating system,

and the pipe M the source of steam-supply. I need not illustrate the rest of these arrangements, as they are well known in the art, and especially in car-heating systems. The drums are compact and are made into units of the same size, any number of which may be combined in any desired manner in making up the heating system.

I arrange the plugs m and n in openings connected with the chambers K and L, respectively, and on opposite sides of the fitting B from the pipes M and N, respectively, which plugs may, if desired, be removed and the pipes M and N placed therein, the plugs being used to take the place of the space occupied by said pipes, should such change be made. It should also be observed that the drum A communicates with the waterchamber in fitting B, which is considerably larger in diameter than the drum itself. This is to allow of the Water flowing freely around the jacket-tubes, which traverse said chamber and which fill the drum in practice somewhat more completely than in the illustration shown in the drawings. It may also be noted that the water-chamber in the drumhead or fitting is located nearest to the drum itself. Back of the water-chamber is the drip-chamber L, the jacket-pipes therefrom traversing the water-chamber, and back of the. drip-chamber is the steam-chamber K, from which the spur-tubes project, extending through both the drip-chamber and the water-chamber on their way to the drum. This provides for the convenient access to the interior of the drum of both the water and steam.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A steam-heater for a water-circulating system comprising a water-drum having inlet ITO and outlet connections with said system, a steam-chamber at one end of said drum having connection with a source of steam-supply, a drip-chamber at the same end of the drum separate from the steam-chamber and hav ing an outlet in its lower portion for water of condensation, a gravity-drained spur jacketing-tube extending from said drip-chamber into the drum and closed at its outer end, and a spur steam-tube extending from the steam-chamber into the jacketing-tube and open at both ends.

2. A steam-heater for a water-circulating system comprising a water-drum having connections with a water-circulating system, a steam-chamber at one end of said drum having connection with a source of steam-supply, a drip-chamber at the same end having an outlet for water of condensation, and a series of heating-spurs extending into the drum from one end and having a uniform distribution throughout its interior, said spurs comprising a series of gravitydrained acketing-tubes closed at their outer ends and all connected with the drip-chamber, and a series of open-ended steam-tubes inclosed by the jacketing-tubes and all extending from the common steam-chamber, whereby the water in the drum is uniformly heated at a plurality of points.

3. A steam-heater for a water-circulating system comprising a drum having water-inlet and wateroutlet, a steam-chamber at one end thereof having a series of spur-tubes projecting into the drum and open at their outer ends, a drip-chamber at the same end of the drum having an outlet from its lower portion for water of condensation and a series of ravity drained jacketing tubes extending rom said drip-chamber into the drum and inclosing the steam-tubes, said jacketingtubes having closed outer ends.

4. A steam-heater for a water-circulating system comprising a water-drum with inlet and outlet ports on different levels; a head or fitting at one end of the drum containing three chambers, first a water-chamber communicating with the interior of the drum, second, a drip-chamber for the water of condensation provided with an outlet in its lower portion for said water, and, third, a steam-chamber, a plurality of spur-tubes extending from the head or fitting into the drum and communicating at one end with the said steamchamber and open at their other ends; and a plurality of gravitydrained jacketingtubes, each inclosing one of the said spur-tubes and communicating at one end with said drip-chamber but closed at their outer ends respectively.

5. A steam-heater for a water-circulating system comprising a water-drum With inlet and outlet ports on different levels; a head or fitting for said drum containing three chambers, first, a water-chamber communicating with the interior of the drum, second, a drip chamber for the condensed water having an outlet for the latter, and, third, a steamchamber; a gravity-drained jacketing-tube extending from the drip-chamber through the water-chamber into the drum and closed at its outer end; and a spur-tube extending from the steam-chamber through both the drip-chamber and the water-chamber into the interior of the jacketing-tube and open at its outer end.

6. A head or fitting for one end of the water-drum of a steam-heater, provided with three chambers located one in advance of another and comprising, first, a waterchamber with an opening adapted to communicate with the drum, second, a steam-chamber provided with spur steam-tubes projecting therefrom through said opening, and, third, a dri chamber provided with gravitydrained tu es jacketing the steam-tubes and projecting therefrom through the said opening, said drip-chamber having an outlet for water of condensation.

7. A steam-heater for a water-circulating system, comprising a water-drum; a detachable fitting therefor having three chambers, to wit: first, a water-chamber communicating with the interior of the drum and of larger diameter than the drum, to provide a water-ii ow space outside of the tubes and inside the chamber, second, a drip-chamber for the water of condensation having a dripoutlet, and, third, a steam-chamber; a jacketing-tube extending from said drip-chamber throu h the said water-chamber into the interior 0 the drum and closed at its outer end; and a spur-tube extending from said steam-chamber into the jacketing-tube and open at its outer end.

8. A reversible steam-heater for a water- 'circulating system comprising a water-drum having Water inlet and outlet ports at differ ent ends and on opposite sides of its axis, separate steam and drip chambers both at the same end of the drum, a steam-inlet to the steam-chamber, a drip-outlet from the drip-chamber drainin said chamber in both horizontal and vertica positions of the heater while the water inlet and outlet ports are at different levels, a gravity-drained spur jacketing-tube extending into the drum from said drip-chamber, and a steam-tube extending into the jacketing-tube from said steam-chamber.

9. A steam-heater for a water-circulating system, comprising a drum having steam and drip chambers at the same end connected with the steam-supply and dri discharge respectively and having water in et and outlet for the body of the drum connecting with the water-circulating system, and having also a series of freely and independently eX- pansible gravity-drained spur heating units Signed at Albany, New York, this 12th projecting from 0113a 3nd of th(; drlglm infiithe day of April, 1902.

water-containin 0 V thereo an eac av- 1 1 ing an internal steanisupply channel lead- JAMES MOELROY' ing from thesteam-chamber and an external Witnesses: condensation return-channel jacketing the ERNEST D. JANsEN, same and leading to the drip-chamber. BEULAH OURLE. 

